


Go Fetch

by thatbitch100100100



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: BB-8 is also a dog, Ben has a stick up his ass, Ben is an annoying uptight dog owner, Dog owners, Dogs, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Kylo Ren is a dog, Rey just got a puppy, a corgi to be exact
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:13:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27243247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatbitch100100100/pseuds/thatbitch100100100
Summary: Ben's normally peaceful evenings at the dog park with his well-behaved dog Kylo are suddenly interrupted by a beautiful woman with a rambunctious new puppy. At first he is, of course, annoyed with her laissez-faire attitude and her puppy's lack of training, but with time his annoyance becomes something quite different.Rey is ecstatic to finally have a dog of her own, eager to quell her loneliness and fulfill a childhood dream of having a pet. At the dog park, she meets a grumpy, stickler dog owner, whose callousness and impatience drive her crazy, even if he is the most handsome man she's ever seen in her entire life.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 58
Kudos: 289





	1. You're Incorgi-gible

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you're reading this, welcome!!
> 
> I'm fairly new to AO3 and this is my first time writing a Reylo fic, so please be patient with me. This idea popped into my head today when I was at the dog park with my dog and we saw my neighbor's little orange corgi puppy. Of course, I immediately thought he looked like the dog version of BB-8, and....well, you get the picture. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this!

Ben Solo was a man of routine. Nearly every evening, with the exception of days when the weather was poor, he headed to the nearby dog park just before sunset with his Great Dane, Kylo. He found that the daily fresh air and time with his pet was just what he needed to destress and clear his head at the end of his busy days. Plus, it certainly helped that the dog park was usually empty, or close to it, around that time. 

Their schedule usually went as follows; Ben would get home from work, set down his things, and immediately greet Kylo, whose enthusiasm to see him never failed to earn a small smile from the otherwise solemn man. He’d grab a tennis ball and Kylo’s leash, and they would take off on the familiar ten minute walk to the park. Indeed, the proximity to the park was one of the things that made Ben choose his current place. 

Once at the park he’d play fetch with Kylo for a bit or practice the agility course with him, and if the dog was feeling more independent or just wanted to run around, he’d take a seat at the benches on the periphery and read. Every minute or so, Ben would look up from his book and locate Kylo to make sure the sleek black dog wasn’t getting into trouble, despite knowing that wasn’t a likely possibility, since he had taken great care to make sure his pet was  _ exceptionally  _ well-trained. It had always irritated him when people didn’t train their pets, and he had run into far too many poorly-trained dogs to take that chance with his own dog. 

This particular evening was transpiring just like any other; after Kylo grew bored of fetch, Ben sat at the benches reading his worn paperback while Kylo made it his mission to sniff every square inch of the park. The weather was beginning to shift from sweltering summer days to the cooler temperatures of autumn, and Ben relished in the breeze that swirled against his skin. Having always run hot, the chilly weather suited him far better. The pleasantly crisp air, one of his favorite novels for company, and the solemnity of an empty dog park (save Kylo, of course), were making for a very nice evening, one that was sorely needed after the horrible day he’d had at work. For a moment, he closed his eyes and revelled in the peace, letting it seep into his weary bones. 

Ben was quickly snapped out of his peaceful reverie at the sound of a loud, British, and distinctly  _ female _ voice. He snapped his head up to locate the source, an instinctual look of agitation on his face. 

“BB8, no!” he heard a woman cry, chasing after a tiny but surprisingly fast blur of orange fur that was barrelling right towards him. Ben looked up just in time to brace himself before the puppy launched himself at his legs, jumping up to greet him and leaving several muddy pawprints on his pants. 

“Bad puppy!” the woman scolded, but her tone was less chastising and more entertained. Ben, however, did not share in her amusement. With an eye roll, he gently removed the little corgi’s paws from his legs and set the dog on the ground, away from him. 

“I am so sorry!” the owner said, stifling a giggle. Ben looked at her, his eyes narrowed, fully prepared to scold her for her dog’s bad behavior, but the sight of her made him pause in his tracks for a split second. 

The woman was exceptionally stunning. Her heart-shaped face and high cheekbones were flushed, probably with a combination of exertion and the cold air. Her eyes were a warm and sparkling brown, wide and ever-so slightly turned up at the corners; they were the kind of eyes someone could get lost in, that much he knew immediately. She had a pert, straight nose and plump pink lips that framed a wide and toothy smile. Her pale golden skin was decorated with a constellation of freckles that begged to be traced with fingers or lips alike.

Ben stared for a split second too long and was immediately flooded with embarrassment, which he prayed did not show on his face. Then, he remembered why she was standing in front of him in the first place; she and her rascally little dog had disturbed his peace, the pup having jumped up on him and muddied his pants. 

“It’s fine,” he managed to say, albeit harshly and coldly. “But you really shouldn’t let your dog off-leash yet until they’re trained.” He only meant to point it out, and maybe make her feel a  _ little  _ bit bad for her dog’s behavior, but as soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, and he saw the look of offense on her face, he realized they would probably be received poorly. 

“It’s a dog park,” she said in annoyance. “They’re  _ supposed _ to be able to run around off-leash. And besides, he’s only a puppy.” she gathered her little orange dog up in her arms, almost protectively. 

“Puppies can be trained,” Ben replied. 

“I’m working on it, okay?” the woman scoffed. “Don’t you remember when your dog was a puppy?” 

“Kylo never jumped up on people like that,” Ben stood up and pointedly attempted to brush the wet dirt off of his slacks. 

“Sorry my dog can’t be a perfect  _ angel _ like yours,” the woman said sarcastically. “I’m sorry, okay? But it’s just a little mud, I’m sure it will come right out.” 

“These are dry clean only,” Ben muttered in annoyance. 

“Ok, fine, I’ll pay for them to be dry cleaned if you’re so bothered.” the woman placed a hand on her hip. 

“I highly doubt you can afford my dry cleaning,” Ben remarked. 

Her face reddened further. “That’s incredibly rude,” she spat. 

“Just being honest,” he shrugged nonchalantly. 

“Alright, well sorry again, I’ll keep my distance.” she glared at him and took her dog with her to an empty corner of the park. He could hear her talking to the puppy as she went. 

“Come on, BB8, we won’t let that grumpy man bother us, will we,” she leaned in and kissed the puppy’s tiny nose.

Ben rolled his eyes and attempted to get back to his book, but he couldn’t help but be distracted by her presence. She played animatedly with her little corgi, trying to get him to chase a ball she’d brought, and clapping for him loudly when he managed to get his tiny mouth around it long enough to bring it back to her. Her chipper voice chimed in his ears as she called excitedly for her dog and ran around the park with him. Ben tried not to dwell on how good her legs and ass looked in the tight black leggings she wore, only made more obvious as she ran, lunged, and jumped around with her pet. 

He was sneaking another glance at her when he felt a nudge at his side. Kylo had come over to him and was staring at the woman and her puppy, looking at the pair and then back at his owner as if to ask permission to join them. 

“You don’t want to play with  _ them _ , do you?” he said skeptically. 

Kylo only continued to look longingly at the woman and her dog. Ben rolled his eyes. 

“Not today, buddy. Not them.” 

Kylo pouted slightly but seemed to understand, and went back to sniffing around where he was before. Satisfied, Ben returned his attention to his worn novel. 

Only a few minutes later, he glanced up to see his sneaky black dog dancing around the woman’s legs. He looked up just in time to see Kylo sitting excitedly at her feet, and she extended her small hand to the dog to offer up a treat. He gladly took it, and the woman pet the top of his head as he gobbled up his gift. 

“What are you doing?” Ben called out harshly to her, hopping up from his seat in alarm. “You can’t give him treats.” 

She rolled her eyes. “It was just  _ one _ , and he earned it. He sat and shook.” she gestured to Kylo, who was sitting enthusiastically at her feet, his tail wagging swiftly. 

“ _ Traitor,”  _ Ben muttered under his breath. “He can’t eat that PetSmart bullshit,” Ben called out, walking over to her. 

“Relax, it’s literally just chicken,” she said, holding up a plastic baggie containing shredded meat. 

“You shouldn’t give other people’s dogs treats,” Ben said as he approached her, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Okay, and I’m sorry. Won’t happen again.” she rolled her eyes slightly and turned to Kylo. “Even if he  _ is _ such a good boy. You’re such a good widdle boy, aren’t you?” she said to the dog in a baby voice, scratching behind his ears. 

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Ben said in annoyance. “He’s not a baby.” 

She shot him a look. “Aww, your daddy is no fun,” she said, still scratching Kylo enthusiastically. Ben tried to ignore the way he swallowed thickly when she said “ _ daddy _ ,” willing away the images that filled his brain at the sound of the word coming out of her beautiful mouth. 

“You need to lighten up,” she turned to Ben and said with a grin. 

Ben neglected to reply, letting his hardened gaze speak for him. “Come on, boy, it’s time to go.” he gestured for Kylo to follow him. 

The black dog pouted slightly and paused, looking back at the woman and her puppy, evidently hesitant to leave his new playmates. 

“Kylo,” he warned, giving the dog a serious look. Still, he didn’t budge, staying firmly glued to the woman’s side. 

“Kylo,  _ come _ ,” he said a little more forcefully. With a dramatic snort, Kylo followed. 

“Had to be called  _ three times _ ? God, you better get him in obedience classes.” the woman said sarcastically. Ben shot her a look before turning to leave, his dog walking forlornly by his side. Once he was safely out of earshot, he turned to his dog and spoke. 

“You made me look bad back there, buddy. What was with you?” he whispered, shaking his head. Kylo pouted further, lowering his head in a dramatic frustration. He clearly wanted to stay with the woman and her crazy puppy, a sentiment Ben couldn’t understand. 

As the pair approached the gate and Ben clipped Kylo’s leash on, he heard the woman’s voice calling out to them. 

“Bye Kylo! It was lovely to meet you!” she called out happily. “Next time I’ll bring  _ extra _ chicken for you!”

“Don’t even think about it,” Ben grumbled back at her before turning to leave. He heard her chuckle to herself before returning her attention to her puppy. 

Ben began his normally serene walk home. Kylo was clearly bothered, angry at having been dragged away from his new friends so quickly. He kept shooting dramatic looks at Ben, which were met with scoffs and eye rolls. 

His dog’s immediate obsession with the woman and her dog was a mystery to him. Normally, Kylo was slow to warm up to people, preferring to stay at his owner’s side and away from others. But for some reason, he seemed to love this woman immediately? It didn’t make sense. What was with Kylo’s random preoccupation with her? He shook his head in disbelief. 

But as the pair got home and Ben continued with his normal evening routine, he found himself distracted. He could hardly focus on his briefings for work without her face popping into his head. She haunted his thoughts, and he internally scorned his subconscious for letting her distracting beauty overshadow his annoyance with her. 

That night, when he settled into bed, displeased with the lack of work he’d gotten done due to his failure to focus, she floated to the front of his mind once more. He tried to shake her from his thoughts, but she seemed determined to stay put. As he drifted off into an exasperated sleep, her face was the last thing he saw. 

  
  
  


KYLO:  


BB-8:  



	2. Barking up the Right Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey run into each other again at the dog park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you guys for such a wonderful response to my first chapter! I wasn't expecting it at all! It made me so happy!!!
> 
> Second, I wanted them to dislike each other for a bit longer but I guess these two have minds of their own. 
> 
> Third, I figured out how to make a mood board, sorry it's not perfect but I'm proud of it!

Ever since Rey Niima was a little girl, she wanted nothing more than to have a dog of her very own. Having grown up in the foster care system, where her personal possessions were few and far between, and loneliness was the default state, the idea of having a little pet to love her and keep her company was her idea of heaven. When she was very small, maybe four or five, she had an imaginary dog that she aptly named “Baby,” who accompanied her everywhere. While she eventually outgrew her imaginary pet, she never outgrew the longing for a dog of her own. 

After she aged out of the foster care system and headed to college on a scholarship, she constantly had to talk herself out of heading down to the animal shelter and adopting a dog right then and there. The timing was never right--she knew that she couldn’t care for a puppy during ungrad, and she could never afford her own apartment so she had roommates to consider. But now that she had graduated and had a few months off before officially starting her PhD in engineering, the timing was finally right. 

Her roommate and best friend Finn was ecstatic when she presented the idea to him, and with his support, she finally got a puppy, a little orange corgi that she fell in love with at first sight. He was the runt of his litter, the eighth and final puppy to be born, so she named him “Baby 8,” paying homage to her imaginary pup from so many years ago. Lately she’d shortened it to BB-8, a name that was a bit unconventional but seemed to fit the little furball perfectly. 

Rey was incredibly cautious in the first few weeks and kept him far away from all other dogs until he had all his shots. As soon as he was vaccinated and in the clear, though, she was eager to get him to the dog park and introduce him to some other dogs. She’d read online about the importance of socializing your dog to both humans and other dogs early on, and she wanted to do everything she could to make sure her little pup was well-adjusted. So, as soon as it was deemed safe, she had trekked to the local dog park with BB-8, armed with chicken for training, several balls for fetch, and even a collapsible water bowl and water bottle. 

As she had neared the park she was excited to see that there was already another dog there, even though he was a massive dog that would probably be intimidating to her tiny pup.  _ No matter _ , she had thought.  _ Better to get him used to bigger dogs early on _ . 

To her surprise, BB-8 had been anything but timid. As soon as she had closed the gate and unhooked his leash, BB-8 took off like a bullet, running faster than she ever would’ve guessed that he could. She had chuckled and watched him run, and realized a second too late that he wasn’t just running aimlessly; no, he had been running directly towards the only other human in the park, a tall man perched on a bench, the breeze ruffling his smooth, dark hair as he thumbed through a book. 

She had called out to BB-8, but it was no use. Her enthusiastic and friendly dog had already made quick work of hopping up on the man’s legs, leaving muddy pawprints in his wake. 

When Rey ran up to apologize, she was immediately struck by the man’s stunning appearance. She almost forgot why she was approaching him as she took in his face. He was truly unlike anyone she’d ever seen before. 

His face expressed an intensity that was nearly unparalleled, with his dark, heavy lidded eyes staring a hole right through her. He had strong bone structure, with prominent cheekbones and a sharp jaw, and Rey couldn’t help but muse that he looked like something a sculptor would’ve spent hours perfecting. His long nose led her gaze to a pair of wide, soft, plush lips, and even though they were set in a hard line with evident frustration, they looked tantalizing nonetheless. His mouth and chin were framed with rugged facial hair, the same inky black as the long, shoulder-length waves on his head that nearly brushed his shoulders. And just when she allowed herself to begin to marvel at his hulking frame and defined muscles, he sent her a cold look of disapproval that stopped her in her tracks. 

She had muttered out an apology, but just as quickly as she whirled into the dog park, the conversation turned sour. He was harsh, haughty, and critical, and she thought to herself that it was quite a shame that someone as handsome as him was ruined by poor manners and an unpleasant disposition. 

After she made the mistake of sharing BB-8’s chicken treats with his sleek black dog Kylo (whose friendliness and warmth was the total opposite of his owner’s attitude), his harshness intensified. She had done so thoughtlessly, and he had a right to be annoyed, but he was downright  _ mean _ in his beration of her. 

And yet, when he called his dog away and left the park in a huff, Rey wasn’t even excited. 

She knew she should be ecstatic at his leaving. He was an asshole and was unnecessarily cold and impolite. 

But for some reason, as she walked his tall frame fade away as he walked up the road, she felt a strange pang of disappointment in her chest. 

  
  


………….

  
  


The next evening Ben continued with his routine, chiding himself for the momentary hesitation he felt. There was no reason he should let one annoying girl change up his regular schedule. But thinking of seeing her again made him anxious, to the point where he temporarily considered skipping the dog park. He told himself that he dreaded the possibility of her presence because she bothered him, and didn’t allow himself to consider that his anxiety might be due to a very different feeling towards her (even if she had taken up residence in his dreams the past night). 

So when he got home from work that day, he grabbed the leash and led an excited Kylo out the door, same as usual. The walk to the park went quicker than usual, and sure enough, as he neared the park gate, he saw a familiar orange corgi bouncing around with glee. The woman’s hair was down this time, framing her face with warm brown waves. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she watched her new pet roll around in the grass, and he felt an unexpected pang of affection at her happiness. 

Kylo let out a friendly bark as if to say hello, and she immediately turned her head towards the sound. 

“Well if isn’t my favorite handsome man!” she said with glee. “Oh, and you brought your owner, too.” she smirked at him playfully. 

“Lovely to see you too, thanks,” Ben scoffed. Once inside, Kylo trotted up to her, his tail wagging. He took a seat obediently at her feet, waiting to be petted. 

She reached out and then stopped dramatically. “Oh, is this okay? Can I touch him, your highness?” 

“Sure,” Ben replied, rolling his eyes. She turned to Kylo and started scratching his ears affectionately. 

“Aww, who’s a good boy? You are! Such a good widdle baby.” she cooed, and Kylo expressed his approval with a rapidly wagging tail and a panting tongue. 

“It probably drives you crazy how much he likes me, huh?” the woman smirked at him.

“You have no idea,” Ben replied. “And he  _ never  _ takes to people this quickly, either…” Ben admitted, against his better judgement. 

That perked her up. She raised her eyebrows and turned at him with a questioning grin. “Really? Interesting...sounds like he’s a good judge of character.” 

“Keep telling yourself that,” Ben scoffed, shaking his head. 

“I’ll have you know that I am  _ very  _ likeable,” she insisted, her brows furrowing. 

“Could’ve fooled me,” he remarked. 

“Ha! Look who’s talking.” she challenged, placing a hand on her hip. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Might I remind you that your first instinct was to  _ yell  _ at me?” she shot him a look. 

“It’s not my fault that you can’t train your damn dog.” he shrugged. 

“Unless you’re a vet or professional dog trainer or something, I don’t want to hear it.” 

“0 for 2 there. I am neither a veterinarian nor a dog trainer.” he raised his eyebrows, amused. 

“Then what do you do? Wait, don’t tell me. You’re a….” she tapped a finger against her chin in thought. “...mafia boss.”

He chuckled. “Nope, try again.” 

“Tax collector?”

“Nope.” 

“Professional young Keanu Reeves impersonator?”    
  


That one got a chuckle from him. “No.” 

“Okay, fine. Tell me.” 

“I’m a corporate lawyer.” he replied. 

“Argh! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. You  _ scream _ lawyer.” 

“Is that a compliment?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Do you want it to be?” she teased back, mirroring his expression. 

He paused awkwardly before responding. “Well what are you then, little miss sunshine? A preschool teacher?” 

She snorted. “Gross, no. Not a fan of snotty noses over here. I’m a student, actually.” 

“What are you studying?” he asked curiously. 

“I’m getting my PhD in mechanical engineering.” 

He couldn’t hide the shock on his face. “Wow, that’s not what I would’ve pegged you for.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Sexist much?” 

“No, it’s not that!” he protested, his face reddening in embarrassment. 

“Well then what is it?” she shot him a look. 

“No, nothing.” he insisted, turning his gaze elsewhere in hopes that she’d drop it. 

“No, I want to know!” she challenged. “What about me screams ‘not an engineer’?” 

“Nothing,” he shook his head. 

“Tell me!” she badgered. 

“Fine,” he said quickly. “It’s just that...every engineer I’ve ever met has been….shall we say...kind of dorky looking?” 

She raised her eyebrows. “Am I not ‘dorky looking’?” she asked, making quotation marks with her fingers. 

“No,” he said uneasily. 

“Because I’ve been told that I both look and act like a massive dork, on multiple occasions.” she teased him. 

He huffed in frustration. “You’re pretty, okay? I’ve never met a pretty engineer.” 

She blushed slightly, pausing. “You must not have met many engineers before.” she replied after a few seconds of silence, turning her attention to the grass where Kylo and BB-8 chased each other around happily. 

He didn’t know what to say to that, and he hoped that his face wasn’t bright red in embarrassment, but knowing his paleness, it was probably inevitable. 

“How old is Kylo?” she asked, breaking the silence. 

“Almost 4,” he replied. “And BB-8?” 

“A little over four months,” she answered. They both stared at their pets, who were playing with each other on the grass. He couldn’t help but notice what an amusing combination they made, a massive black great dane and a little corgi fluffball. Pride swelled in his chest when he noticed how gentle Kylo was being with the puppy. It was adorable, even he could admit that. 

“What a strange pair they are,” the woman laughed, pointing her chin towards the dogs. 

“Right?” Ben said, chuckling. 

“Do people think that he’s scary at first?” the woman turned to him, stunning him temporarily with her question. 

“Some people do,” he replied honestly, caught in her genuinely kind gaze. 

“I didn’t,” she said, but she didn’t look back at Kylo, she stayed staring at him. “He may seem intimidating but I could tell he was a huge softie.” a smile twitched at the corner of her lips. “Even if he was a little cold at first.” 

Ben felt an unfamiliar flutter in his stomach which he refused to let himself dwell on. 

“He definitely...took to you very early on, that much is clear.” he mumbled, still meeting her warm gaze. 

“I think I took to him, too,” she replied. “We both did.” she gestured to her puppy. A slight blush pinked her cheeks, and Ben couldn’t help but notice that it wasn’t even that cold outside. 

_ Is she blushing? Oh my god, she’s definitely blushing,  _ he thought to himself. 

His mind spun, taking him a minute to catch up.  _ Wait….is she talking about me or the dog?  _

_ Oh my god if she’s talking about me then that means she said she ‘took to me’ too and what does this mean and how do I know what she was actually talking about?  _

Just when he had worked up the courage to look up into her big brown eyes and ask her to clarify, she snapped her head forward, turning her attention back to the dogs. 

“Oh my god, did you see that?” she exclaimed. 

“See what?” he asked. 

“Look!” she pointed. “Kylo is trying to teach BB-8 how to jump through the hoop!”

He turned his attention to the dogs, and sure enough, Kylo kept jumping through the agility hoop and looking at BB-8 expectantly, as if trying to get him to follow. He even went around the puppy’s back and nudged at his backside with his nose, as if trying to usher him along. 

“Holy shit,” the woman said under her breath. “That is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.” 

Ben laughed. “Okay, that is pretty damn cute.” 

The pair watched as Kylo continued to encourage BB-8, eventually using his nose to lift the puppy by the stomach to help him through. When BB-8 stumbled through the hoop, Kylo ran in circles excitedly as if to cheer for him. 

Ben followed the woman as they neared the pair of dogs as though to supervise them and help BB-8 with the hoop if needed, but it seemed that Kylo had that all under control. He helped BB-8 through the hoop a few more times, the puppy getting more and more confident with each try. 

“That just made my whole night,” she said. “And speaking of night...when did it get so dark?” she looked up at the nearly-blackened sky. 

“What’s that American saying?” she asked. “Time flies....” she trailed off, trying to remember. 

“...when you’re having fun?” he chuckled. 

She snapped her fingers in recognition. “Yes, that one.” 

“Well are you?” he asked. 

“Am I what?”    
  


“Having fun?” 

She grinned and bit her lip. “Surprisingly, yes.” 

“Surprisingly, me too.” he replied, looking deep into her eyes. 

“Who would’ve thought I’d be having fun with the mean old dog park grump?” she giggled. 

“Funny, isn’t it?” he smiled wryly. 

“Well…” she trailed off. He looked at her, captivated. 

“I really should be getting back. I have a ton of homework.” she said, sounding regretful. 

“Of course,” he nodded. “Have fun with that.” 

“I’ll do my best.” she grinned at him. She called her puppy over and hooked him back on his leash, leading him to the gate. 

“See you around, I guess?” she said. 

“Yep,” he said, smiling slightly. “See you around.” She waved, and he watched her walk away, her brown waves swirling behind her. As she was closing the gate, a thought popped into his head. 

“Wait!” he called out. She turned to him, surprised. 

“What’s your name?” he said, his breath catching in his chest slightly at the sight of her angelic face. 

“Rey,” she grinned. “Rey Niima.” 

“Rey,” he breathed out. It was perfect for her. Rey, like the sun. And she  _ was  _ the sun, bright and infectious and happy. 

“And yours?” she asked, looking at him expectantly. 

“Ben Solo.” he replied, running a hand through his hair instinctively. 

“Well goodnight, then,  _ Ben Solo _ ,” she smirked playfully and waved before walking away. 

_ Rey Niima _ , he thought.  _ Rey, Rey, Rey. _ He loved the way her name felt on his tongue, rolling out perfectly like a melody. 

_ Oh, damn it _ , he thought. Now that he had an actual name to put to her face, to her sunshine, there was certainly no way he would be able to get her out of his head anytime soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it to this point, thank you so much for reading!


	3. Ruff Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben are having fun at the dog park when an unexpected guest spoils the mood.

Rey considered herself to be a grade-A facebook stalker. Whenever one of her friends started seeing someone new, she could be counted on to find out everything about them online. She once deduced that one of Rose’s new guys was in fact already in a relationship, helping her friend avoid significant pain down the road. 

In any other circumstance, she would’ve found it easy as pie to google someone and do a deep dive on them, especially for someone she was finding herself a little bit _interested in_ . But for some reason, it felt like _wrong_ to google a certain Ben Solo. 

She was sure that she was being illogical, though; why shouldn’t she look him up like she would anyone else? So, partially out of curiosity and partially out of a desire to prove to herself that there was nothing special about him, she googled away. 

To her surprise, he was absent on social media. No facebook, instagram, twitter, nothing. He was a ghost. 

_Who is this guy?_ she thought to herself. 

He wasn’t a total ghost, though. Far from it. She did find his name and credentials in quite a few places; when she clicked on the first result it took her to the website for a law firm called _The First Order_. It was indeed him, with his high cheekbones and dark waves, albeit completely void of a smile. He looked harsher than she’d ever seen him. 

His name and face peppered news reports across the internet, with shots of him standing tall in the courtroom, intimidating and hulking like a statue. He was grace personified, smooth and well-spoken even from a picture. Rey couldn’t help the stirring in her lower belly that ensued as she examined the shots of him. There was something about his undeniable presence that made her undeniably….well, horny. 

At the realization that she was indeed getting turned on from mere pictures of a man she barely knew, Rey slammed her laptop closed and rubbed at her eyes in exasperation. 

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ she thought. _I have literally met this man twice, and the first time was hardly civil._

Still, reason couldn’t explain why he had remained prominent in her thoughts ever since the first time they met. And perhaps it was the lack of reason that bothered her so much--she had always been the type of person who had great control over her feelings. Even in romantic relationships in the past, she could count on herself to be logical first and foremost. But now, with Ben, she was attracted to him almost immediately, logic be damned. And it made absolutely no sense to her--she barely knew him, he was clearly older and more accomplished than her, and probably far out of her league. Yet it didn’t stop her from thinking about him nonstop since the moment they first met only days before. The sheer lack of logic was driving her crazy. 

The past two nights, she had had to skip the dog park so she could study. But she could tell BB-8 was getting antsy, and was probably eager to see his buddy Kylo again. So that Sunday evening she gathered her things and took her pup to the park, hoping that Ben and Kylo’s consistent routine extended to weekends, too. 

As she and her pup approached the park, she recognized a familiar dark head of hair and an equally inky black dog, and she felt her stomach do a flip. 

“Hey Ben!” she waved as he turned his attention towards her, drawn by the clanking sound of the gate. 

“Rey!” he grinned and waved back. 

She closed the gate behind her before letting BB-8 off the leash, and the pup bounced towards Kylo excitedly. The black dog responded with equal glee, running circles around his much smaller friend and barking in greeting. 

Rey watched with a smile as the pair chased each other around, clearly the highlight of both dogs’ days. 

“You’d think they’d known each other their whole lives,” Rey heard Ben say with a chuckle. 

She turned to see him standing behind her, his hands deep in his pants pockets. He looked devilishly good in his gray sweater, his hair slightly more windswept than usual. He had one lock of hair that was out of place, and Rey found herself having to resist the urge to smooth it back. 

Rey smiled in agreement. “Most definitely.” 

Ben turned his gaze from the frolicing dogs back to her, and Rey could swear she saw his eyes widen a little bit at the sight of her. She mentally thanked that morning’s Rey for deciding to put on some makeup and get dressed a little nicer than usual. 

“How are you, Rey?” he smiled a little breathlessly. 

“I’m good,” she replied. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here today.” 

“I almost didn’t come,” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“Why is that?” Rey asked. “What changed your mind?” 

Ben paused, turning back to the dogs once more. “Oh, you know,” he said with a grin. “I wanted to see BB-8.” 

“Just BB-8?” she asked playfully. 

“I suppose you would’ve been a bonus,” he teased. 

“Why, how kind of you,” she rolled her eyes, grinning. She paused, working up her courage, before speaking again. 

“Well for what it’s worth, I was hoping to see you, too.” Rey’s voice was quieter than usual. She almost thought he didn’t hear her, but he turned to her a few seconds later with a massive grin on his face. 

“Really?” he said, in near-disbelief. 

“Really.” she replied, smiling. 

“Huh,” he said quietly, as if he was tucking that tidbit in his brain for later. Rey didn’t miss how his cheeks turned pink and he fiddled nervously with the pockets of his jacket. 

“I guess _maybe_ I was hoping to see you,” he admitted, grinning. “In the spirit of total honesty.” 

“Wow, that, plus you called me pretty last time? Color me flattered.” Rey quipped. 

“Like I said, total honesty.” Ben shrugged, biting back a smile. 

Rey grinned. She wouldn’t call herself a flirting _expert,_ per say, but she’d been on the receiving end enough times to know how to recognize it. And she could _swear_ that he was flirting. 

“I haven’t seen you in a few days,” he said, changing the subject lightly. 

“It’s not for lack of wanting to be here,” she admitted. “I’ve just had a lot of studying to do.” 

“Do you have a test coming up?” he asked her, turning towards her attentively. 

“Tomorrow,” she answered. 

“Ahh,” he nodded in understanding. 

“I needed a study break,” Rey sighed, running a hand through her hair. “We both did.” she gestured to BB-8, who was still chasing Kylo around gleefully. 

“Good choice of break,” Ben said. “It’s not the same as studying, obviously, but my favorite place to be after a long day at work is right here.” 

“Is your work stressful?” 

He sighed. “You could say that.” 

Rey nodded, leaving silence in case he wanted to continue, but also making it clear that he didn’t need to unless he wanted to. 

It turns out he did want to explain. “As I told you, I’m a lawyer,” he began. “But I do corporate law. The company I work for is...not the best. And sometimes having to be their legal defense, well, it gets very emotionally draining.” 

“Is that the kind of law you saw yourself going into? When you first decided you wanted to be a lawyer?” Rey asked. 

“Oh god, no,” Ben laughed bitterly. “I started out as many lawyers do--bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, determined to right wrongs and make a difference. Somewhere along the way, I ended up in corporate law.” he shrugged. 

“I see,” Rey replied. She wasn’t sure what she should say. She was an outsider to the situation, and clearly not in a place to be giving him any advice, nor did she think he’d be very receptive to it. Thankfully, he spoke, saving her from trying to come up with a good response. 

“What about you? Why engineering?” Ben asked. She turned to him and her reply was momentarily caught in her throat at the sight of a slight breeze ruffling his dark hair, hair that looked irresistibly touchable and soft. 

She found her voice a split second later, and she silently prayed he hadn’t noticed her staring. “I’ve always been a ‘ _fixer_ ’,” she said. “I like seeing how things work, even when I was a kid. I used to take things apart just so I could put them back together. And I suppose it always stuck with me.” 

Ben smiled warmly. “So I guess engineering is a perfect fit, huh?” 

“Most definitely,” Rey grinned. “I want to make things work better, more efficiently.” she explained. 

“Well I look forward to buying the things you make, someday.” he said genuinely, gazing at her with his intense, dark eyes. She smiled softly back, touched by his faith in her, which seemed authentic and not at all anecdotal. 

“I hope I get that far,” she admitted, biting her lip. 

“Rey,” he said softly. “You will.” 

“How do you know?” she asked. “You just met me, I could be a total idiot, for all you know.” 

“I just do.” He shrugged assuredly. “Call it intuition.” 

At that, Rey blushed furiously. She hoped it wasn’t showing too much. 

A peppy little bark from BB-8 drew her attention away from the hulking specimen just feet from her. 

“You alright over there, buddy?” she called out to the dog, walking towards him. Instead of running towards her, like he normally would, he seemed to dart away mischievously, attempting to evade her. She squinted, and noticed with alarm that he had something in his mouth.

“What do you have there!” she shouted out to her dog, concerned. In her haste to get to him fast enough, she misstepped right into a small hole and lost her footing. She felt herself falling to the ground and instinctively reached her arms out to catch herself. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled back quickly, a thick arm around her waist. 

“Careful there,” she heard a voice low and quiet in her ear. It sent a flurry of chills down her spine. 

Ben’s thick arms twisted her around, and before she knew it, she was face to face with him, his strength holding her up. His grip around her felt like fire on her skin, electric and warm and tingly.

“Thanks for that,” she said breathlessly. 

“Anytime,” he replied, and she noticed that his chest was heaving ever so slightly. 

  
It occurred to Rey that she was plenty safe now, and could easily be put upright, but neither she nor Ben made any effort to disconnect from each other. In fact, Rey found herself hoping that he wouldn’t let go of her. Something about being in his arms felt so utterly perfect, so comfortable and cozy yet electrifying and sexy. 

If she was reading him correctly, he was feeling similarly. His breathing became more labored, his cheeks were flushed, and his pupils were even a little more dilated than usual. 

“Rey,” he said, his breath tickling the skin of her cheek. _He looks nervous_ , she thought to herself. _Why is he nervous?_

“Yes?” she whispered back, biting her lip.

“Are you free this---” 

She never got the chance to hear the rest of what he was going to say. They were interrupted by the familiar, bellowing voice of her roommate. 

“Rey!” Finn shouted. 

  
  


……….

  
  


Ben tensed instinctively at the sound of another voice, let alone one calling out the name of the woman that was currently entwined in his arms. Before he could let go of her, though, she nervously jumped out of his arms and took off running towards the man at the gate. 

  
He turned and watched her go as she took off into a jog, approaching the newcomer. He was strong looking, his white smile bright against his smooth, dark skin. Ben’s gut wrenched as she leapt into the man’s arms, embracing him in a familiar hug. The ache grew stronger when the man learned in and pecked Rey on the cheek. 

_Of fucking course_ , he thought. _Of course she’s not single. Why in the world would she be? And here you were, gazing at her dopily and about to ask her out. You absolute, fucking idiot._

Ben rubbed at his clenched jaw. He flexed and unflexed his hands instinctively, the tension rising up in him. He felt equally frustrated and embarrassed; he should _not_ be this worked up about a girl he had just met, even if she had driven him mad with desire since the moment he met her. He was angry that someone else got to touch her, got to hold her close, and he was angry at himself for thinking he had a shot. He had clearly been imagining things, and he felt foolish and small. 

None of that stopped him from being impossibly jealous. _He_ wanted to be the one to hold her close, to kiss her cheek, to run his hands across her lean body. And for a few brief, blissful moments that evening, he could’ve sworn he had a chance at it. Or, at least, a chance at a date with her. Even a date he would be ecstatic with. 

Jealousy bubbled up inside of him like a hot, angry sludge, threatening to boil over. His whole body felt white hot. He distracted himself by running after BB-8, gently opening the puppy’s mouth to pull out a clump of grass. Caught up in the previous moment, neither him nor Rey had thought to check. He brushed his hands off on his pants and stood uncomfortably until he heard Rey’s voice. 

“Ben!” Rey called out as she led the man by the hand towards him. Ben felt himself tense as they approached. 

“This is Finn!” she said happily. “Finn, this is my new friend, Ben.” 

“Ah, yes!” Finn smiled, reaching out a hand to him. “Kylo’s owner, yeah?” 

Against every instinct, Ben took Finn’s hand and shook it, albeit coldly. _Her new friend,_ and _Kylo’s owner_ , the words echoed in his head. Because of course that’s what he was to her, just a dog part acquaintance. 

He tried to relax his jaw, hoping not to reveal his anger and embarrassment in his face. The last thing he wanted to do was make Rey uncomfortable. 

“Nice to meet you, Finn,” Ben said, trying to keep his tone even. 

“You as well, mate,” Finn grinned. 

_I’m not your fucking mate,_ Ben wanted to growl out. Instead he just nodded and forced a smile. 

After several moments of silence too many, Ben cleared his throat and buried his hands in his pockets. 

“I’m gonna…” he gestured to the gate. “...go.” He pulled Kylo’s leash from his pocket and whistled for his dog to come to him. Kylo begrudgingly did so, returning to his owner’s side. 

“Oh,” Rey said abruptly, surprised. “I’ll see you later, then?” 

“Sure,” Ben said off-handedly, clipping the leash on and starting for the gate. 

“Okay,” Rey said, her voice unsure. “It was good to see you! Have a good night, Ben.”

Ben was already halfway to the gate, and he didn’t bother turning around to reply. He couldn’t bear what he knew he’d inevitably see: Rey, sidled up to another man, the sight enough to break his foolish heart all over again. 

“You too,” he called out to her, focusing his gaze steadily on the gate. He kept his attention focused on the space in front of him, even as he went through the gate and headed up the road. 

He walked mindlessly home, and was almost surprised when he reached his front porch, the minutes having flown by in his numbness. 

As he fumbled with his keys and pushed the door open, he growled in frustration. 

_Stupid, foolish, blind,_ he told himself. 

_Hopeless._

  
  


This chapter is brought to you by my very own lil lady, Penny, pictured here at 9 weeks old! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains several of my FAVORITE tropes!! 
> 
> -we got "oops you fell and I caught you!!"   
> -we got the one where someone things their love interest is taken but they aren't  
> -and most importantly, we got JEALOUS BEN SOLO!!!!
> 
> I am a SUCKER for a good trope--what are your favorites?? 
> 
> By the way, I threw in a picture of my darling little puppy, Penny, the true inspiration for this fic!


	4. Such a Maltease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against his wishes, Ben ends up at the dog park again. He learns some interesting information from Rey.

“Oh my god, you’re in  _ looove  _ with him!” Finn hit her shoulder lightly as she watched Ben’s large frame fade into the distance. 

“What? No I’m not, I barely know him.” she insisted indignantly. 

“Tell that to your bright red cheeks, Rey Rey.” he teased. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Finn,” she sighed. “He basically ran out of here without a second thought.” 

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe he left the stove on,” Finn shrugged. 

“Ben doesn’t strike me as the type to leave the stove on,” she mused. “No, he just got tired of talking to me. It’s fine.” she tried to seem unbothered, but her best friend saw right through her. 

“Bullshit,” Finn said, putting a hand on his hip. “I may not be a scientist like you, but I know chemistry when I see it.” 

Rey rolled her eyes at his pun. 

“That man  _ likes  _ you, Rey. I was here for approximately one minute before he left and even I could tell.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said insistently. As much as she wanted Finn to be right, she knew he wasn’t. Men like Ben Solo didn’t like women like her. He was a full-on adult, with a real job and probably a mortgage and a 401K. Rey had eaten cereal for dinner for the last three nights. She wasn’t foolish enough to think they were on the same level. 

His abrupt beeline for the exit only moments before hadn’t done anything to change her mind. He had made a run for it and she wasn’t blind; she had seen how uncomfortable he looked. 

Another part of her couldn’t help but be a little confused, though. Before Finn got there, it felt like he might have been flirting? She didn’t want to get excited when there wasn’t cause to be, but she was certain there had been  _ something  _ going on. She couldn’t have imagined it, right? 

Rey sighed, prompting a response from Finn. 

“You alright, Peanut?” he asked, looking concerned. 

“Oh yeah, I’m fine, just getting a little cold. Should we head back?” 

“Sure, if you want,” Finn shrugged. The pair grabbed BB-8, who wasn’t exactly happy to be leaving, and exited the park. Rey was unusually quiet on the short walk home, and when Finn asked why, she cited that she was just thinking. Rey spent the rest of the evening thinking of Ben on and off, replaying their encounter in her head in an attempt to figure out exactly what had happened. She fell asleep without any resolution. 

  
  


……….

  
  


Poor Kylo was confused. He was used to the same things happening most days, and the highlight of his day was always when his dad came home and took him out. The thought of that alone got him through the lonely hours while dad was gone. But for some reason, things had changed, and poor Kylo didn’t know why. 

He was so excited when he first met his new friends at the park! They made playing even  _ more _ fun! They were so fun to play with, and he thought his dad liked them too. He had seemed really happy when they were at the park with their new friends. But ever since the last time he saw his friends, dad hadn’t taken him back to the park. He wondered why. 

Dad had seemed sadder lately, too. Kylo tried to snuggle him and play with him to make him feel better. He even tried to share his toys with dad. Those things always made Kylo feel better when he was sad, so he figured they’d make dad feel better too. But dad was still sad, and that made Kylo sad. He wanted his dad to be happy. 

He missed the park, and he missed when dad was happy. For a few days he thought about things he could do to fix the problems. Eventually the perfect plan came to him: he would  _ make  _ dad go to the park! That way, Kylo would get to go to the park and see his friends, and dad would see them too and be happy again. Problems solved. 

Thoughts of his plan quickly faded, saved for later, when he saw a squirrel outside through the window. 

  
  


…….

  
  


Ben had kept his distance from the park since that evening when he’d seen Rey with Finn. As much as Kylo clearly wanted to go back, Ben needed more time before he could see Rey again. If there was another time in the day that he could go, he would, but his busy schedule didn’t allow for much room, and the sun was setting earlier and earlier lately. That’s why he’d established such a distinct routine in the first place, and now it was ruined. 

  
Ben from two weeks ago would’ve scoffed at the thought of a random grad student and her dog pushing him out of the park, of what he essentially thought of as  _ his  _ park. But she wasn’t just a random grad student anymore, she was  _ Rey _ , with her bright smile and endearing ambition and the little wispy curls that fell loose when she wore her hair up. And now she had ruined the park for him. 

It was a typical weekday evening when he took Kylo out for a walk after getting home from work. The dog was relieving himself on a patch of grass alongside the sidewalk, and as the pair paused, Ben pulled out his phone to check his email. All of a sudden, Ben felt a strong and unexpected jolt coming from Kylo’s leash, and in a flurry not to drop his phone, he felt the leash slip between his fingers. Before he could grab it, Kylo went flying down the sidewalk, a blur of black with his red leash streaming behind him like a flag. 

“ _ Kylo! _ ” Ben yelled after his dog, who was currently sprinting down the road. He took off after the dog, grumbling to himself in frustration.  _ What the hell is happening? _ he thought. Kylo was normally extremely well-behaved, always listened to his commands, and had never run off like this, not even as a puppy. 

“ _ Kylo! _ ” He yelled again, his heart beating faster in his chest as he ran at top speed after his dog “ _ Get back here!”  _ But it was to no avail, the great dane was still running gleefully down the sidewalk. Ben felt anxiety start to build up inside him as he realized his dog was showing no intention of stopping. What if Kylo outran him? Would his dog get lost? He was microchipped, of course, but what if that wasn’t enough? What if Kylo got lost? The thought of losing his precious best friend made him push himself harder, his lungs heaving as he ran faster than he ever had before. 

It only took a few more seconds before Kylo rounded a familiar corner, and Ben realized where the dog was headed.  _ Of course _ , Ben scoffed to himself. They’d been taking the same route for so long, so it only made sense that Kylo knew exactly where he was going: to the dog park. 

Ben’s anxiety ebbed as he realized that Kylo wasn’t running away aimlessly, and would probably stop running once he reached the park. Ben didn’t slow, though, still determined to catch up to the dog, hoping to intercept him before he got to the park gate. 

His efforts were fruitless, and Ben watched as Kylo slowed excitedly at the metal gate, sitting politely at the door as if waiting for his woefully two-legged owner to catch up to him. 

Ben slowed to a jog and met his pet at the gate, reprimanding him. 

“ _ Bad Kylo!”  _ he berated. “That was  _ very  _ bad, we do  _ not  _ run away. Bad dog!” he wagged his pointer finger at Kylo, who at least had the decency to look ashamed. He reached down and grabbed the leash, turning quickly on his heel to force his dog back home, when he heard a familiar British lilt. 

“Ben?” Rey called from her place on the other side of the gate, where she was playing with BB-8. She walked closer to the entrance, closer to  _ him.  _

“Oh, hi,” he said, caught off-guard. 

“Aren’t you going to come in?” she looked at him expectantly. 

“I wasn’t planning on it,” he blurted out, and he worried he might’ve come off as too sharp after seeing the taken-aback look she gave him. 

“Kylo somehow got away from me and I had to chase him all the way here,” he explained, carding his hand through his hair instinctively. 

“Naughty little stinker,” Rey teased, looking down at Kylo, whose tail was wagging eagerly at the sight of Rey and BB-8. 

“I don’t want to reward his bad behavior,” Ben insisted, albeit hesitantly. Now that she was there, in front of him, all of the reasons to avoid the dog park seemed much less convincing as he looked into her sparkling eyes and cheeks tinged pink from the cold. 

“Understandable,” she grinned. “But now that you came all the way here...stay awhile?” she asked, looking up at him through long lashes. “I haven’t seen you--- _ we _ ,” she gestured at BB-8, “haven’t seen you in a while.” 

Ben felt his heart melt a little, and all grounds to return home slipped from his mind in an instant. 

“Okay,” he conceded with a smile. He unlocked the gate and let Kylo inside with a stern look of warning. As soon as the inner gate was opened Kylo took off like a rocket, bouncing along BB-8 gleefully. 

“I think they missed each other,” Rey joked as she walked alongside him. 

“I think you’re right,” Ben agreed. 

After a moment of silence, Rey spoke, her tone less sure than it usually was. “I think I missed you, Ben,” she said quietly, her gaze directed ahead to where the dogs were playing. Ben glanced at her and didn’t miss the way she bit her lip delicately. 

“I missed you too.” he replied, his throat thick. She certainly wasn’t making this easy for him; his desire for her was practically unbearable now that she was right next to him. But she was still untouchable, and would still go home to another man’s arms. 

“How have you been?” Rey interrupted his miserable musings. 

“Good,” he said, even though it was a lie. How could he possibly be  _ good  _ when she had wedged herself permanently into the forefront of his mind with so little effort, an unavailable angel that only served to drive him mad with longing and jealousy? 

“And you?” he asked her, feigning normalcy. 

“I’ve been alright,” Rey said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “School has been intense, but I think I’m doing okay.” 

“I’m sure you’re doing  _ more  _ than okay,” he replied. 

“Time will tell, I suppose,” she said. “Or grades, rather.” 

“Don’t you have any grades yet?” 

“I do, but most of my grade depends on things towards the end of the term.” she explained. 

“You’ll do great,” he insisted. 

“There you go again,” Rey chuckled. “Assuming I’m some genius incapable of failure. How do you know I’ll ‘do great’, really?” 

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I just have a good feeling about you, is all.” 

_ About more than just your schooling _ , he thought to himself. He had a good feeling about everything about her, a thought which he promptly buried in the back of his head, citing its uselessness. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a little strange, Ben?” Rey giggled. 

“On many occasions,” he admitted. 

“I should clarify, strange in a  _ good  _ way,” Rey insisted. 

“Whatever you say,” Ben replied. 

“I’ve been called strange too, you know.” Rey said as she squatted to pet an eager Kylo who had trotted up to her feet. “But strange in a bad way.” 

“I’m sorry,” Ben said, a strange surge of anger and protectiveness swelling in his chest at the thought of someone saying something to hurt her. He shook his head, trying to dispel such a misplaced feeling. 

“It’s okay,” Rey shrugged. “You know what my foster mom told me?” she turned to him, a wry smile spreading across her face. “Fuck ‘em.” 

Ben laughed, grinning widely. “She sounds like a wise woman.” 

“She was.” Rey smiled softly. 

_ Was?  _ Ben felt a pang of sadness in his chest. “Did she pass?” 

“Yes, several years ago.” Rey replied. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Ben said, feeling awkward. What did one say in this situation?  _ I’m so sorry that you lost someone so important to you, and it makes me sad that you were sad, or are sad, or ever have been or will be sad, and I want to prevent you from being sad for the rest of our lives?  _ Yeah, that wouldn’t do it. 

“It’s alright,” Rey said softly. “It happens, people pass on.” 

“It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, though,” Ben replied gently. 

Rey chuckled wryly. “That’s true.” Seemingly eager to move on from a sad subject, she turned the conversation in a new direction. “How is work going?” 

“Work is...work.” Ben replied with a sigh. “It’s a lot, but it always is.” 

Rey was silent for a moment as if deciding what to say. “Have you thought about finding a new job?” 

Ben was momentarily caught off-guard. She was so frank and casual, as if it was so easy to completely change the course of one’s life. “No,” he replied honestly. 

“Why not?” she said tentatively, as if trying not to overstep. 

“I’ve been where I am for so long, and to quit would require me to completely start over somewhere new. I’ve put in all this time and work at First Order, and it would feel like such a waste to quit.” 

“That makes sense,” she replied, biting her lip as if she was trying to work through the whole situation in her head. “I know I don’t know about law, or being a lawyer, or anything,” she continued. “But I don’t think it’s too late to try something new.” 

“I’m too old to start over.” Ben said. 

“You’re not too old!” Rey scoffed. “How old are you?” 

“I’m 30,” he replied. “That’s too old.” 

Rey laughed. “30 is  _ not  _ old! My friend Rose is in medical school right now and she won’t even be done with residency until she’s 30, she won’t even be being an  _ actual doctor  _ until then. Trust me, 30 is not too old.” 

“Maybe you’re right,” Ben said, and was surprised at his own admittance. She was making some excellent points, after all. 

“Wait, how old are you?” he asked her, temporarily alarmed that he’d never thought to ask. What if she was super young, and he’d been lusting after someone who was practically a teenager? 

“I just turned 25,” she replied. “I didn’t start my undergrad until I was 20 because I had to save up the money for it.” 

“Oh, okay,” he said, his worries eased. He stared ahead at the dogs, trying not to look at her, because looking at her for too long was proving to be altogether too painful. It was only a reminder of everything amazing that she was, and how utterly unavailable she was to him. 

“I’m really glad BB-8 has been able to socialize with Kylo,” Rey said, following his gaze to the pair of dogs who were dancing around each other with glee. 

“I’m glad too,” Ben replied. “It’s been good for Kylo, too. A refresher on how to be gentle with puppies.” 

“Do you think you’d get a second dog someday?” Rey asked, curious. 

“Maybe,” Ben said. “If you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I would’ve said no. But seeing how happy Kylo is with BB-8 has made me realize that maybe he’s been a bit lonely.” 

A shock ran through Ben as he realized that his words could easily apply not only to his dog, but to himself, as well. Rey had certainly made him realize that he’d been missing some companionship in his life. 

“Well, if you do decide to get another dog, Kylo will be a great big brother,” Rey replied. “And until then, he’s always got BB-8 to keep him company.” 

Without any warning, an image flashed into Ben’s head, of the four of them all together under one roof, the dogs playing like brothers as he and Rey cooked breakfast together on a lazy Sunday morning. The idea was so domestic, so utterly intimate and sweet, that it nearly sent a lump to his throat. 

What had gotten into him? This girl he’d met only a few weeks ago, who had a  _ boyfriend,  _ no less, had him thinking about some strange, highly hypothetical future? 

“That’s a nice sentiment,” Ben replied to Rey after an awkwardly long pause, having been lost in his thoughts. 

Strange thoughts, intrusive thoughts about domesticity and companionship and overwhelmingly  _ Rey.  _ He shook them furiously from his head, in an act of self preservation, because dwelling on make-believe hypotheticals would only hurt him more. 

  
  


…………

  
  


Rey’s heart fluttered in her chest. Despite everything her reasonable side told her, she somehow felt butterflies around him every time. 

It had been a while since she’d seen him last, despite going to the dog park at the same time every day, the time when he usually went too. She had briefly wondered if he’d found a new park, or even if he’d moved, or something. 

Just when she’d given up hope of ever seeing him again, he appeared at the gate, adorably breathless and with hair tousled by the wind. She’d been pleasantly surprised, feeling giddy and excited despite what all reason told her. Sure, he was mature and well-established and so incredibly handsome and probably wanted nothing to do with her. But somehow that message hadn’t reached her subconscious, which still danced a jig whenever he was near. They chatted, about the dogs, about school and work, and she felt herself getting more and more smitten by the minute. Eventually they’d migrated to the bench where she’d first seen him reading his paperback. 

They were seated together, close by virtue of the size of the bench, but not close enough to touch. That didn’t stop her from feeling the heat radiating off of his large frame, and the sensation sent tingles down her spine. Still, though, the heat wasn’t enough to warm her completely; she was  _ cold _ . An involuntary shiver raked through her, large enough for him to notice. 

“Are you cold?” he turned to her, surprised. 

“A little,” she admitted. Before she could protest, he was shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. 

“Thanks,” she said, pulling the edges tighter around her. It was  _ cozy _ , soft and warm and smelling utterly like him. She had to stop herself from taking a large and obvious inhale of the material just to get a good whiff of his essence. 

“No problem,” he said, smiling at her softly. 

In the motion of removing his jacket, he’d somehow settled a little closer to her, and she felt his leg brush up against her own. If the feeling of his body heat radiating sent tingles, this sent a full-body tremor through her. His touch was electric, even through layers of clothes, and Rey instinctively thought of what his touch would feel like  _ minus  _ the clothes, with skin against skin, lips against lips. The thought made her blush. 

Rey bit her lip. She  _ had  _ to know. She knew it was already foolish to be letting herself develop feelings for someone out of her league, but she wanted to at least know if there was a chance, or if he was with someone else. But how could she find out, without asking outright? 

She summoned her courage before speaking. “So do you live alone? Besides Kylo, of course.”  _ Yes,  _ she thought to herself.  _ That’s a good start. _

“Yep, it’s just the two of us,” Ben replied. 

_ Okay, good sign on that one. That still doesn’t rule out a girlfriend, though.  _ She was so busy trying to think of what to say next that she almost missed his follow-up question. 

“What about you?” 

“Oh, it’s just me and Finn, plus BB-8 of course,” Rey replied offhandedly, missing the way his jaw tensed at her reply. 

“So is Kylo obedient to just you, or are there other people he’s..close to, or whatever?” Rey asked, feeling silly. 

“He’s pretty obedient with everyone,” Ben replied with a shrug. 

She nodded in understanding. “That’s great.” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Ben said. 

Rey paused before continuing, determined to find out if he was single no matter how dumb she made herself look. “So do you have any...important people in your life?” Rey asked casually, and internally kicked herself for such an obvious and doltish question. 

“I guess I do, yeah?” He furrowed his brows in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

Rey sighed in exasperation. She was going to have to ask outright, wasn’t she? 

“Ben, are you single?” 

He turned to her, shock evident on his face. She expected that much, because why would he expect such a question from her, someone who was clearly far from a romantic prospect? Still, his complete surprise stung a little; was she really that undateable that such a question earned such a shocked response? 

“What?” he sputtered, his face white as a sheet. 

“Are you single? As in, are you dating anyone?” she repeated, her cheeks pinking in embarrassment. 

“No,” he blurted. 

“Oh, of course, sorry, I was just curious.” Rey said, trying to hide her disappointment by staring ahead at the dogs. 

“What?” Ben said, confused. 

“I was just curious if you’re dating anyone, is all. Just a question,” Rey insisted, hoping to move on. 

“What?” he repeated. “I said no, as in, no I’m not dating anyone.” 

“Oh,” Rey said, her expression brightening instinctively. 

“Are you?” Ben asked. 

“Am I what?” 

“Are you dating anyone?” His face turned pink as he met her gaze. 

“No,” she replied a little too quickly. 

“You’re not?” he said, and Rey could swear he perked up a little. 

“Nope.” 

“What about…” Ben paused awkwardly. “What about Finn?” 

“Finn?” Rey said, confused. 

“Yes, Finn,” Ben said. “From the dog park a few weeks ago?” 

When the realization hit her, Rey laughed out loud. “Finn is my roommate and friend, and that alone. And he is quite happy with his boyfriend, actually.” 

“Oh,” Ben said, clearly somewhat taken-aback. 

“Did you think I was... _ with  _ Finn?” Rey turned to him, amused. 

“I mean, yes?” Ben seemed flustered. 

“Definitely not  _ with  _ Finn.” Rey replied, biting back a laugh. 

“So you’re not….” Ben trailed off. 

“No,” she replied. “And  _ you’re _ not…?” 

“Not at all. Very single over here.” Ben’s eyes twinkled. 

“Oh,” Rey said, not sure if or how to continue. The pair sat together in silence for a moment, gazing at their dogs playing together, because that seemed like the only comfortable place to look. 

The silence was interrupted abruptly by Ben blurting something out. 

“Do you want to go out with me?” 

“Go out with you?” Rey asked, utterly surprised. 

“Yes, go out with me. Like on a date.” 

“A date? With you?” Rey uttered, still in shock, which was unfortunately being interpreted as something else entirely by Ben, whose blush deepened and already appeared to be mentally back-tracking. 

“Sorry, forget I said anything,” Ben muttered, adjusting in his seat to stand. 

“No!” Rey grabbed his wrist instinctively to prevent him from leaving. “I mean, yes! Yes I do want to go on a date with you.” 

“You do?” Ben’s eyes widened. 

“I  _ really  _ do.” Rey grinned sheepishly. 

“Should we...exchange numbers?” Ben pulled out his phone hesitantly. 

“Yes! Great idea.” Rey grabbed her own phone and opened up a tab for a new contact. She handed her phone to him and he followed suit. She entered her own contact information into his phone, typing in  _ Rey  _ with a sunshine emoji, and even snapping a selfie for a contact photo. 

“Do you want me to do that?” Ben gestured awkwardly to her selfie-taking. 

“Sure,” she replied with a smile. He held her phone up to take a picture of himself, albeit very uncomfortably. 

“So, text me, then?” Rey said, handing him his phone and taking her own back at the same time. 

“Of course,” Ben said, blushing. 

“Sounds great,” Rey replied. 

“Great,” Ben said. 

Rey felt giddiness fill her chest, enough to practically spill over. And from the wide smile on his face, she thought maybe he felt the same. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I absolutely love hearing from you guys! 
> 
> Sincerely, someone who will also not be a doctor until I'm 30 :)


	5. Far Fetched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey finally go on their date, but will it go as planned?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a LONG time coming, and I know there are a few people who have been waiting patiently for it. I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long, but I hope it's worth it! Thank you for reading and being patient! It's a real whopper of a chapter, which is one of the reasons it took me so long to finish. 
> 
> That, and I really hit a wall. Somewhere along the way this fic stopped being a source of relaxation and became somewhat of a chore for me, but I want to finish it, because I want to give you guys a good resolution. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this! I toyed with using text messages within this, inspired by one of my favorite Reylo writers darthswift13. They're a little out of focus but I'm proud of it!

Rey walked home with a giddy smile on her face, feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. She had gone to the park that day with no expectation to see Ben, and she certainly never thought she’d leave that day with plans for an actual _date_ with him! 

Then, with a sudden jolt that led her little puppy to turn around in confusion from his position ahead of her on the sidewalk, Rey froze in her tracks. She was a ratty oversized sweatshirt she’d had since her freshman year of college, and a pair of old leggings that had a few weird paint stains on the bum from when she and Finn helped Rose paint her apartment. To top it off, her hair was thrown up into a greasy topknot and she didn’t have a lick of makeup on her face. 

She hadn’t bothered to change her clothes before walking to the park that evening. Why should she? Ben and Kylo had been AWOL for a while now. Leave it to Ben to catch her completely off-guard like that, in a state of minimal effort appearance-wise. 

In any other circumstances, she would have agreed that she was currently at a low point on a scale of attractiveness. But even though she felt like a slob, she still didn’t feel entirely unattractive. How could she, when the most beautiful, astonishing, Adonis of a man had just asked her out on a date? Certainly she, in her state of dishevelment, had still managed to catch his eye. How, exactly? She wasn’t going to dwell on it. She just let the giddiness and disbelief wash over her on her entire way home. 

She practically walked in a trance, and before she knew it the little house she shared with Finn was in view. It was an old house, built sometime in the 40s, which was why she and Finn were able to afford such a place on the outskirts of the city in the first place. That, and they’d gotten a wicked deal from a friend of Rey’s foster mom.

Rey smiled to herself at the sight of the little house as she approached. It may be old, but it was perfect to her. Vines wove their way up the sides of the structure, a detail that Rey adored, and which gave away its age. The front yard blossomed with flowers and plants even in the colder months, tended by Rey’s careful hand. 

She and Finn had nestled into the house and made it a home, as if subconsciously making up for all the years they yearned for a home but had none. They’d scoured estate sales and thrift stores to find the perfect furnishings that wouldn’t break the bank, and together they’d managed to create a cozy little slice of heaven. 

As Rey got closer to the house, she noticed Po’s motorcycle in the driveway, a sight she was used to seeing since Po was over so much these days. She smiled to herself and hurried inside, excited to see her friends. 

“She’s back!” Finn smiled widely. “We were wondering if you were planning on coming home.” 

“Oh please, I was barely gone an hour.” Finn rolled his eyes as Rey sat down at the table and unclipped BB-8 from his leash, allowing him to rush to his water bowl. 

“You look happy, Rey,” Po said suspiciously. 

“Do I not normally look happy?” she said, stalling. 

“Happier than normal, I should say.” Po added. 

“Was Loverboy at the park?” Finn gasped excitedly. 

“What?” Rey’s cheeks pinkened. 

“Loverboy?” Po raised his eyebrows. 

“He’s a hottie she met at the dog park. And judging by the color of her face, he was there again today.” Finn waggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

“Ooh,” Po smirked. “Sounds intriguing.” 

“He...may have been there.” Rey grinned. She didn’t want to seem overeager, but she couldn’t help it. Her excitement was practically spilling over, despite her prior insistence to Finn that Ben was nothing, that nothing was there. 

“And….” Rey bit her lip, grinning. “He might have asked me on a date.” 

Finn cheered excitedly, joined by Po.

“I TOLD you, Peanut! I told you he was into you!” Finn pumped his fist in victory. He turned to Po. “You should’ve _seen_ the way this guy was looking at Rey the other day, like she was a dessert he wanted to devour, or something.” 

Po laughed, his grin wide. “It’s about time our Rey got some.” 

“Po!” Rey blushed. 

“Oh please, you’ve been crushing hard ever since you met him, Rey.” Finn insisted. “Deny it all you want, but I know you’ve caught the feels.” 

Rey buried her face in her hands, covering the redness and the cheesy grin alike. 

“Okay! Okay. Maybe I did...catch feels. But please don’t make this into a bigger deal than it is. I don’t even know him that well, and it’s only one date. It’s not like we’re getting married or anything.” 

“Whatever you say,” Finn teased. 

The three chatted for a while longer, before Rey excused herself to work on homework. That was what she told them, at least. She needed some more time to think about Ben, and the upcoming date. 

She was excited, alright, but after talking about it with Finn and Po, she realized that the giddiness had worn off and nervousness was creeping in. All the things she told herself previously were still true-- he was still an insanely handsome, well-off, official _adult,_ with a real job. Hell, he probably had _savings_ , a concept Rey was still becoming familiar with. Why in the world was he interested in _her?_ She came from nothing, was still nothing, and for some reason he _saw something_ in her? 

It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense. He was so perfectly handsome--did he not know it? Maybe that was the explanation. 

Rey shook her head in frustration. Her nervousness was overwhelming at this point, but she resolved herself to focus on the part of her that was excited. 

  
  


………..

  
  


Ben wasn’t sure what the normal texting etiquette was these days. Wasn’t he supposed to wait a certain amount of time or something? He could’ve sworn he’d heard Hux say something along those lines. It made sense, though. He didn’t want to scare Rey off by barraging her with texts only minutes after they’d seen each other. 

Still unsure, he caved to his worries and called Hux. His friend picked up, surprised. 

“Benji?” 

“Uh, yeah. Who else?” Ben said, annoyed. 

“Alright, smartass, I’ll hang up then.” 

“No! Don’t!” he exclaimed instinctively. 

“Chill, man. What’s up?” 

“Ok, Hux, I...have a question for you.” 

“Okaayy…” Hux said, his tone suspicious. 

“It’s not anything weird, I promise.” 

“You’re starting to freak me out here, dude.” 

Ben sighed heavily. “It’s about a girl.” 

The line was silent, and then the low sound of his friend’s hearty laugh filled his ears. 

“What the fuck is so funny?” Ben snapped. 

“I’m sorry,” Hux wheezed. “It’s just...you, Ben Solo, with the bank account and prestige to get anyone you want...are calling me because of _girl troubles?”_

“Shut up!” Ben said defensively. “I just need your advice on something.” 

“On the other hand,” Hux continued. “Maybe it’s best that you are calling me, since you haven’t had sex, or even been on a _date_ , in what, a year now?” 

“That’s not true,” Ben growled, annoyed. 

“How long, then?” Hux teased. 

Ben was silent, and Hux took that as a response. He chuckled one last time before settling down. 

“Okay, man, what’s up?” 

“So there’s this girl, I met her at the dog park a while ago, she’s really funny and gorgeous and sweet, and tonight I asked her on a date.” Ben said in one exhaled breath. 

“And?” 

“And how long should I wait before texting her?” 

Hux started laughing again, but Ben’s growl of irritation made his laughter ease. “I don’t know, man, maybe text her in the morning?” 

“Tomorrow morning?” 

“No, Christmas morning,” Hux laughed. “Yes, tomorrow morning. But not at the ass crack of dawn, when you wake up. Wait until normal human hours, Ben. 10 at the earliest.” 

“Ok, I can do that.” Ben nodded to himself. 

“You got this,” Hux said, uncharacteristically serious. 

Ben caught up with his friend for a few more minutes before they both called it a night. In the end, he was annoyed that he’d gotten teased, but was ultimately grateful he’d caved and called his friend. He felt much more secure in knowing what to do now. 

With that matter handled, Ben started to think about where he should take her on their date. Someplace fancy, that much he was certain of. He wanted to make her feel like a queen. She deserved the best, and he would give it to her. And that included _things,_ too. Pretty things, like expensive couture and gleaming jewelry. She deserved it all. 

With that in mind, with the goal of making her feel every bit the queen she was, Ben formulated a plan. 

…………..

  
  


The next morning, Ben was restless at work. Snoke had to snap at him twice to get his attention during the morning meeting, which earned him a stern look. Thankfully, when 10AM rolled around, Ben was safe in his office, where he could text Rey without wandering or disparaging eyes. With a deep breath, he pulled out his phone and crafted a sentence, hoping he didn’t sound too eager or odd. 

……….

  
  


Rey’s nerves were frayed and sensitive for the rest of the day, and the day after. She felt equal parts excited and anxious; not only was he whisking her away to some surprise location, but he wanted to send her _clothing_ to wear? The thought was exhilarating and daunting all at the same time. Her existing nerves were only heightened by his new revelation--the disparities in their relative wealths were only more obvious now. 

Rey had never been one to lust after fancy things; she’d been poor her whole life, and now was no exception. Most of her things were secondhand, and she was thankful for the recent thrifting trend that made her apparel seem less grubby. The thought of owning something expensive and new nearly made her see stars. At the same time, though, she hoped he wasn’t going to spend too much money on her. That prospect made her uncomfortable. 

Before she knew it, it was Friday, and her fretting about the evening was about to be made worse or better when she saw a sleek black box on her porch, wrapped with a white satin bow. With shaky hands she picked it up and carried inside, hurrying to her room so she could open it in private. She placed the box on her bed and bit her lip. The extravagant-looking box was practically burning a hole in her bed, as if aggressively emphasizing how it didn’t belong here amongst her cheaper things. Before she could dwell on it anymore, she decided to rip off the bandaid. With a quick yank she untied the ribbon and opened the box lid. 

Inside sat a neatly folded dress in a silky red fabric. Entranced, Rey grabbed the dress by its thin straps and raised it gently from the box. The fabric was thin and almost water-like, settling and swaying like ripples. It had a slight cowl neck, but other than that appeared rather shapeless, like a long silk nightgown. Rey nervously set it down and stripped down to her underwear before slipping the cool fabric over her head. It slid languorously down her frame, settling just below her knee, giving her shivers as the silk brushed her skin. She looked in the mirror, and finally understood. 

The dress alone was shapeless, but _she_ was meant to provide the shape. 

It clung to her curves, dancing across her breasts and hips, flowing naturally like an extension of herself. The thinness of it made her feel uncharacteristically exposed, and she began to feel self conscious. But the fabric itself felt so luxurious that she still didn’t want to take it off. 

She twisted backwards to check the tag, only to see that the scrap of paper lacked a price. _That’s not a good sign_ , she thought to herself. Only insanely expensive things came without a price on the tag, as if needing to know the price before purchasing was in and of itself an expression of exorbitant wealth. She didn’t recognize the brand, but it was french sounding, probably a couture designer. Her cheeks flushed as red as the dress itself as the thought. 

Almost as if he was reading her mind, her phone pinged with a message from Ben himself.

Rey drew in a shaky breath. She only had a little over an hour until her car was expected to come...a thought that made her feel like a stranger to the situation, an imposter to high class society. 

She slid the straps of the dress off her shoulders and let it pool at her feet, then picked it up and laid it across her bed gently. She wrapped herself in her worn robe and headed to the bathroom, where she tied her hair back and washed her face carefully. Afterwards she leaned in and examined her skin in the mirror. She had some blemishes, more than she cared to admit, but she hoped foundation would fix that. Never mind that she didn’t usually wear it, now was certainly an occasion that warranted complexion correction. 

She followed a youtube tutorial entitled “easy natural look,” hoping she was doing it right. Some light foundation and powder, blush, eyeshadow, and mascara comprised the steps. She topped it off with a dab of berry-colored lipstick, using the tip of her pinky to give herself a flushed, natural-looking pout. 

With a watchful eye, she surveyed herself, and was proud of her findings. _Not too shabby_ , she thought. She then moved on to her hair, using a slightly dusty curling iron to style her hair in soft waves falling to her shoulders. She secured it with hairspray and then rifled through her drawer to find the expensive perfume she had gotten on sale one year, the one she saved for special occasions. With a few careful spritzes to her neck and wrists, she finally felt ready. Well, as ready as she could be. 

Rey breathed in deeply and peeled off the robe, heading to her dresser to rifle through her underwear drawer. She had to dig to the bottom before she found a lacy thong that she almost never wore but certainly wouldn’t show under the thin material of the dress. With it, she pulled out her one and only strapless bra, hoping that it wouldn’t show in the back of her newly-gifted dress. She was glad to see that it would do after she slipped the red dress over her naked body once more. 

As for shoes, she knew exactly what to wear, not that she had many choices that would suffice. A few years back she had found a gorgeous pair of vintage black sling-backs with a mid-sized heel at her favorite thrift store, and for only $10. She rarely wore them, since they were too formal for most occasions, but they would be perfect for tonight. 

Now for a coat. Unlike shoes, she didn’t have anything that would work with this gorgeous dress. She did, however, have Finn’s whole wardrobe to choose from. She’d seen menswear-style coats on the cover of magazines, and she hoped that she could pull off something of his. It was either that or her puffy winter coat. 

Finn was gone, but Rey knew he wouldn’t mind if she borrowed one of his coats. In fact, he’d probably be elated about it. So, she pulled the camel-colored wool coat from his closet and slid it over her shoulders. It only smelled a tiny bit like him, so she spritzed it with her perfume in hopes to cover up the scent. 

She looked at herself in the mirror with a slight nod. This was all she had, so it would have to work. She slid her phone, lipstick, wallet, and keys into the pocket of Finn’s coat, and right in time, because a knock rang out at her door. 

Rey gave herself a final once-over and smiled in an attempt to feel confident, but it was only partially working. She felt like an imposter in her own skin, a child dressed up in her mother’s clothes. A girl like her didn’t belong in a dress like this, or on a date with a man like Ben. It all felt wrong. She wanted to crawl under her covers and hide, even though giving up a chance with Ben would certainly break her heart. 

But she wouldn’t let herself. No, she would be brave, and face her nerves, no matter how things ended. If it was all a huge failure, at least she could tell herself that she’d tried. 

With that, she made towards the door and swung it open, the cold air rushing in. She did her best to squash her nerves, or at least bury them under a veneer of excitement. She was ready, as ready as she’d ever be. 

  
  


……….

  
  


Ben sat at the table, his knee bouncing anxiously. Thankfully the restaurant was near to his workplace, and he still made it in time even though he couldn’t pick Rey up himself. He would’ve loved to be the one to show up on her doorstep, but Snoke made that impossible. But he wouldn’t let that horrible man ruin his date with Rey. 

As if he had conjured her with his thoughts, she was there, walking through the heavy front doors gracefully. She looked even more stunning than he could’ve imagined in the silky red dress, her shoulders framed by a menswear-style coat, the pockets of which she was currently burying her hands into. Her hair hung in waves around her shoulders, so soft-looking that he wanted to bury his hands in it. And her face---she looked even more beautiful than normal, practically radiant, her lips looking delectably kissable. 

He was frozen in his seat, and it wasn’t until he saw her look around nervously that he stood. The hostess saw her at the door, and he watched as they exchanged a few words. With a smile, the hostess led Rey over to the table perched in the corner, private and exclusive, chosen by him specifically. He watched in awe as she approached, her face nervous but smiling. Thankfully he remembered to pull out her chair for her, the gentlemanly move his mother insisted he perfect years ago. She settled in her chair, and he sat back down in his own. 

“Mr. Solo,” the hostess nodded at him smoothly, her blonde ponytail sliding like a snake down her back. “Anything else I can do for you?” she placed a hand on his forearm in concern, bending down near him. He could smell the overwhelming scent of her perfume. 

“No, thank you.” he said politely, finally relaxing when she gave him a nod and left their table. 

“Do you know her?” Rey asked, biting her lip slightly. Ben’s voice nearly caught in his throat at the sight of it, her lower lip so plump between her teeth. It took him a moment to formulate a response. 

“What? No,” he replied. 

“But she knew your name,” Rey looked confused. 

“It’s probably just because I’m a regular here,” he shrugged. “Plus I made a big fuss about sitting at this table specifically, so she probably remembers me for that.”  
  


“Huh,” Rey said, his response seemingly perplexing her. “And what’s so special about this table?” 

“It’s a VIP table,” he said matter-of-factly. 

“Oh,” Rey shrunk in her chair, looking uncomfortable. She looked around at the other tables, as if seeing things more clearly now. Her cheeks blushed a bright pink. 

“Is everything ok?” he asked, concern rising like bile in his throat. _Had he done something wrong already?_

“No, nothing,” Rey’s attention snapped back towards him, her eyes bright. “Let’s start over, we didn’t even say hello.” 

“Hello, Rey,” he said in a low voice. 

“Hello, Ben,” she smiled. 

“You look beautiful.” 

“Thanks, you don’t think the dress is...it doesn’t look weird on me?” 

“What? No, of course not, it’s perfect.” Ben assured her, but then a new concern popped into his head. “Wait, do you not like it?” 

“No, no,” Rey insisted, shaking her head. “I love it, it’s gorgeous. I’ve just never worn anything this...fancy.” 

“It looks like it was made for you,” Ben insisted, smiling. And it really did look perfect on her, skimming over the curves and planes of her body. He tried not to ogle her, a temptation which was becoming increasingly hard the longer she sat in front of him. 

“Thanks,” Rey smiled, blushing slightly. “And thank you for sending it to me to wear, that was very thoughtful of you.” 

“Of course. I just wanted you to be able to wear something nice.” 

“Oh,” Rey smiled. Ben could’ve sworn he saw her body tense, but the smile she gave him reassured him. 

“How was your day today?” she asked, redirecting the conversation. 

Ben paused before replying. “Stressful,” he finally said with a sigh. 

“How so?” Rey asked as she traced her fingers along the condensation gathering on her water glass. 

“Just the usual, I suppose.” 

“And what is the usual?” 

Ben froze. How much should he say? How much would she care to know? How much could he share without her losing respect for him, thinking less of him? She already knew he was in corporate law, and that he was unsatisfied with his job--that much he’d shared already at the dog park. But diving deeper didn’t feel safe. This was Rey. Kind, earnest, and undoubtedly _good_ Rey, whose opinion of him mattered more than he cared to admit and would certainly be tainted by hearing about his horrible job and all the people he’d allowed Snoke to hurt by keeping him safe from the law. 

He decided to be honest, but without revealing too much. A delicate balance, but one that seemed like the only option. 

“Covering the asses of the bigwigs at the company I work for.” he replied, rubbing at his jaw nervously. 

“Sounds riveting,” Rey joked. 

“It keeps me on my toes.” 

“Well, I don’t know much about law, obviously, but as long as you’re making a difference, that’s good, right?” she leaned forward with her elbow on the table, balancing her chin in her hand. 

“I suppose so.” Ben attempted to keep his voice calm and collected, without revealing how his brain was spinning to say the right thing, to guard himself yet still have a genuine conversation with her. 

“So is that what you measure a career’s worth by?” he asked, half joking but half truly curious. 

“By what?” 

“By being able to make a difference.” 

“I mean, I guess I do.” Rey shrugged. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to drag us into such serious conversation topics so fast.” she laughed nervously. 

“No, no, you’re fine!” Ben insisted, reaching a hand across the table to touch her arm. She tensed slightly at his touch but relaxed soon after. He almost withdrew his hand upon feeling the way her muscles froze under his hand, but the assured look on her face told him he didn’t need to worry. And he really did like touching her, after all. 

“But are you...” she paused, kneading her lip between her teeth again. “You’re happy at work, right?” 

Ben didn’t know how to reply to that. Was he? He had enough money to buy anything he wanted. He was well-respected, even feared, and he was at the top of his field. Maybe along the way he had convinced himself that those things meant happiness. Truthfully, he hadn’t questioned it until, well, meeting Rey. 

“I think so,” he replied, trying not to show his unease. 

“You think so?” she raised an eyebrow. 

“I mean, how do you really even know if you’re happy?” 

_How did she do it,_ he thought to himself. _How does she manage to make me rethink everything I know, everything I’ve come to rely on, all within a matter of weeks of meeting?_

Was it her wide, unassuming eyes, or her warm and genuine smile? Maybe it was the feeling of her soft skin on his own, like a balm? 

“I guess I don’t know,” Rey admitted, looking down. “For me, I guess I know I’m happy with my life because I like what the future looks like, given the path I’m on. School is really hard, but I’m happy in it, because the thought of where it will take me is exciting. And I’m happy because of my friends, because the thought of more fun nights with them makes me excited. Does that make sense? Sorry, I’m rambling.” 

“I like that,” Ben said, squeezing her arm in assurance. She gave him a smile in return. 

As they continued talking, Ben pondered on what she’d said. By her definition, then...well, no, he was _not_ happy. The thought of continuing down his path, this path dictated by Snoke and lying and twisting the truth to help bad men keep doing bad things...it wasn’t a pleasant thought. Not this path where he was alone and had few friends and essentially no family. 

Rey’s words unsettled him. In a matter of minutes she’d managed to get him to admit to himself that he wanted something different, and she didn’t even know she’d done it. 

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Ben realized he’d never answered her question. 

…………

  
  


Rey was _cold._ Finn’s coat laid draped across the back of her chair, delicately put there by Ben himself, but she didn’t feel like she could put it back on without having to stand up, and then everyone would look at her funny and she’d be even more uncomfortable. 

Discomfort, that was the word of the evening so far. She had been so excited about the prospect of a date night with Ben, this gorgeous man who’d made her feel special and wanted whenever she’d seen him. But now everything just felt wrong. 

The dress he’d gifted her was pretty, _too_ pretty. Too pretty for her body, for her skin which was used to the rougher textures of her own clothing. And this restaurant was far too fancy for her. She stuck out like a sore thumb, and she could practically feel eyes on her. Like a beacon, her presence seemed to shout “ _I don’t belong, please stare at me._ ” With every second that passed by, she grew more and more uncomfortable. 

The pretty blonde hostess certainly hadn’t helped, when she had greeted Rey with a sneer disguised as a smile. 

“ _You’ll love it here, it’s Mr. Solo’s favorite place to bring all his...dates.”_ She’d given Rey a once over, clearly assessing how she matched up to what she thought Ben deserved. And judging by the expression on the woman’s face, Rey didn’t exactly fit the bill. 

Reluctantly the hostess had shown Rey to the table where Ben was awaiting, dressed to the nines in a suit that probably cost more than three months of her rent. He looked so handsome, and for a moment Rey was caught up with just that. She imagined it was just the two of them here, wrapped up in their own little world, and her heart swelled at the thought. But that bubble was quickly broken when the hostess draped her slim hand on Ben’s arm, leaning in close, familiarly. 

A surge of embarrassment filled her throat as she watched the woman dote on Ben, practically ignoring Rey’s presence. It only cemented her feelings of other-ness. 

What began as a mild discomfort upon walking in only compounded bit by bit, with the hostess, the luxurious atmosphere, the other diners dripping in wealth. She felt so outrageously out of place. 

Ben wasn’t helping, either. 

“ _It’s a VIP table,”_ he’d said, as if it should’ve been obvious. 

And then there was the “ _I just wanted you to be able to wear something nice.”_ Rey could read between the lines, she felt what was being left unsaid-- “ _this is a nice restaurant and you need to look nice too.”_ And why shouldn’t he have taken that precaution? He’d only ever seen her in casual clothes, even in her rattiest clothes. For all he knew, she only owned the kinds of cheap things that wouldn’t be acceptable in a place like this. She tried not to think about the fact that this was probably true. 

Where was the Ben from the dog park? The one with the flushed cheeks who doted on his dog and wore nice-smelling sweaters? She’d known he had money, that much was clear, but the Ben that was sitting across from her didn’t feel familiar at all. She couldn’t help but wonder if this man is who he really was all along. 

Rey was fighting her instincts to squirm uncomfortably in her seat. She felt like a child wearing a costume. Her discomfort compounded as she scanned the menu that had been handed to her by their waiter, a short, svelte man who managed to make her feel like he was looking down on her, despite his height. Just like the dress, the prices weren’t listed, and part of Rey felt grateful for that--the numbers on the page only would’ve scared her that much more. But even without prices listed, the menu was still intimidating. She only recognized half the ingredients, and many of them were listed in French. 

“What’s good here?” she asked Ben, attempting to sound nonchalant. 

“My favorite is the seared foie gras, but the escargots a la bourguignonne is excellent too. What are you in the mood for?” 

Rey was stumped. What she _was_ in the mood for was a slice of pizza from the place up the street from her house, or a turkey sandwich on Finn’s signature sourdough bread. She wanted something comfortable, something she knew, something safe. But she couldn’t very well say that, not in this extravagant restaurant which probably had the best food in the city. 

“Why don’t you choose for me?” Rey said, hoping to sound playful instead of overwhelmed. 

“If you say so,” he smiled widely. He didn’t even need to look at the menu, he simply flagged down the waiter with a languid yet confident raise of his large hand. The man came scurrying over. 

“Are you ready to order, Mr. Solo?” the server asked, and Rey felt the sting of his dismissal of her presence. 

“Yes, we’ll both start with the squash burrata salad,” he replied. 

“Excellent choice.”

Ben relayed the remainder of their order, and Rey tried to at least feign being a part of the conversation as they delved into wine pairings. She tried not to balk at the dialogue, despite her history with wine being confined to the $10 bottles at Trader Joe’s, and that was on a “ _special occasion,”_ nonetheless. 

Rey let out a small sigh of relief when the waiter finally left. 

“You’re going to love the food here. It’s so good.” Ben grinned at her. 

“It sounds good!” Rey lied. Truthfully, she had no idea what he’d ordered, so she had no way of knowing if things sounded good or not. 

Ben smiled and stilled, looking at her with an intense gaze. 

“You look so beautiful, Rey.” 

“Thank you.” Rey flushed. “It wasn’t without work. I haven’t worn this much makeup in who knows how long.” 

“You look…” Ben paused, seemingly trying to find the words. “Effortless.” 

“Oh, uh...thanks.” 

“How was your week?” 

“Nothing different to report, really.” she admitted. 

“How is school going?” 

“It’s going well. It’s hard, but I like learning.” 

“I can empathize, even if it’s been a few years.” 

“Oh yeah, of course, law school. What was it like?” 

“Lots of pressure,” Ben rubbed at the back of his neck. “And lots of work.”

“How did you know you wanted to be a lawyer?”

“Well,” Ben paused. “My mom is a lawyer, and her father was a lawyer, so it kind of runs in my family, for starters.” 

“I love that,” Rey smiled softly. She’d always liked the thought of a family legacy of anything, really. “Are you close with your family?” 

Ben didn’t answer right away, which made Rey worried that she’d misspoken. But he did reply after a moment. 

“I haven’t always been, but I’m working on it.” 

Rey was quiet. Part of her couldn’t even imagine having parents and _not_ being close to them, although she knew that was a foolish assumption. Just because people _have_ parents doesn’t mean that they’re _good_ parents. But a tiny part of her, call it her inner child, was jealous that he even had parents at all. 

“That’s great,” she eked out. 

“I think so too,” Ben said with a serene smile. “I think they’d really like you.” 

“Your parents?” 

“Yeah,” he said, and Rey wasn’t sure how to respond. Was that an indicator that he wanted to see her again? Or was it an anecdotal comment? She tried not to dwell on it; god knows she had enough worries floating around in her brain right now. 

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their salads, and Rey couldn’t shake the oddity of ordering a starter in the first place. Growing up, if they ever did eat out, it was a silent rule to order the cheapest thing on the menu, and things like drinks, appetizers, and desserts were an automatic no. 

She followed Ben’s lead as he unrolled the neatly starched cloth napkin and draped it across his lap. She felt like a child copying an adult. 

“What are your parents like?” Rey asked, attempting to continue the conversation. 

“They’re...an interesting couple, that’s for sure.” Ben smirked. “Like I said, my mom is a lawyer, but she’s been in politics for most of my life. She can be very overbearing and controlling, which you can imagine would be difficult for a broody teenage boy, but she means well.” 

Rey smiled. “And your dad?” 

“He’s a racecar driver, if you can believe it.” 

She perked up reflexively. Now _that_ was a world she was familiar with. Maz, in all her oddities, had _loved_ racing, and had instilled in Rey a love of the sport, too. They’d watched many a race on their tiny television, her foster mother coming alive at the sight of the cars, minuscule on the screen, racing by. 

Suddenly, an alarming thought rushed into her head. A debonair racecar driver marrying a young lawyer-turned-politician...that was a story she’d heard before. And suddenly she made the connection, astonished that it had taken her this long. She’d known his last name for ages, after all. 

“Ben,” she asked in a small voice, although she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. “Are you by any chance related to _Han_ Solo?” 

“You know him?” Ben chuckled. “Yeah, he’s my dad.” 

“And that makes your mom….” 

“Congresswoman Organa? That would be her.” 

“Oh my god,” Rey blurted out. 

How could she not have seen it before? A refinement like his certainly didn’t come from new money alone. No, he had clearly grown up wealthy. And there was the name--Solo wasn’t exactly a common name, how had she not connected the dots? She felt foolish, but more than anything, incredibly out of place. 

She was nervous enough when Ben was just a rich guy with a fancy job, sending her a designer dress and taking her to an expensive French restaurant. But now, _now_ he was the child of one the most famous American auto racers of all time, and the beloved Congresswoman who was always in the news for her eloquence and championing of protecting her constituents? 

Ben was out of her league before, but now he was basically on another planet. 

A sharp, tinny noise pierced her thoughts, which she recognized as a ringtone. Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen before swearing under his breath. 

“I’m so sorry, but it’s my boss, would you hate me if I took this?” he asked nervously. 

“No, of course not, go take it. It’s fine,” she gave him a look of reassurance. 

He thanked her and excused himself, walking towards a hallway that looked like it led to the bathroom. 

Rey was alone now, with only her thoughts to keep her company, and her worries rose to a tipping point. He was so massively out of her league, how could he not see it? What was she even doing here? 

She was just a scrappy orphan who had managed to eke her way through college, someone who always grew up with dirt under her nails and a rumbling stomach, at least until Maz came along. She was a nobody, and so poorly suited for a man like Ben Solo that it was hardly fathomable how she was sitting here, on a date with him, in the first place. 

She’d felt out of place and silly since the moment she’d stepped into the restaurant. She didn’t belong here, didn’t belong with him. 

Rey felt a lump rising in her throat. It was too much. She couldn’t do this. 

So she did the only thing that made sense. 

She got up, collected her things, and _ran_. 

Rey and Finn's house: 

Rey's Dress: 

**Author's Note:**

> I would absolutely love to get a feel for if anyone is liking this so far or if people would read more? Please comment!! <3


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